Stephen King has been touted as the master of the horror novel. His stories are fantasy and psychological based tales about horrible things. Well, I think King needs to make room as author Dick Wolf takes a stab at a new horror — terrorist attacks against our nation — in his novel “The Intercept.”

Wolf’s name might not be immediately recognizable to a lot of folks, but he is the genius behind the many different incarnations of the “Law and Order” television shows — cop and lawyer shows that feature high drama, intense action and fast-moving storylines. Now Wolf turns his attention to creating that same kind of thrill-rush in novel form.

Wolf’s central protagonist is New York detective Jeremy Fisk. Fisk is assigned to the NYPD’s Intelligence Division, a highly trained unit whose main goal is to prevent any more terrorist tragedies such as 9/ll. The men and women assigned to this team do their job well and have prevented several attacks, but no one, not even the most astute among the unit, can imagine the diabolical plot being hatched to take place on July 4th at the dedication of the new One World Trade Center building. If successful, the chaos and loss planned will cripple the United States, if not the entire world.

Days before the big celebration, the world is mesmerized by the news of a failed hijacking attempt on a Scandinavian airline. The suspected hijacker was brought down by five passengers and a flight attendant, and their bravery has made them big news. “The Six,” as they are christened, are heralded for their quick thinking and bravery, and are quickly turned into heroes. They are taken on a whirlwind tour of news interviews and celebrations, but their highest honor is yet to come. The six are to meet with the president and his wife at a special dinner the night before the World Trade Center dedication ceremony.

But something doesn’t seem quite right. The would-be hijacker is too compliant and cooperative, there is a passenger from the plane who doesn’t quite come clean, and there is an air of turbulence surrounding the members of “The Six.” It’s soon apparent to Fisk and his team that all may not be as it seems within the group of six heroes.

Wolf takes his readers on a roller-coaster ride of suspense, intrigue and action with “The Intercept.” The plot of Wolf’s story races along, giving the reader little time to catch his or her breath. And, it can be said that “The Intercept” is something of a horror story as the plot to terrorize America is not beyond actually happening. It seems that real.